Forsyte.
Soames then went into the box. His whole appearance was striking in its
composure. His face, just supercilious enough, pale and clean-shaven,
with a little line between the eyes, and compressed lips; his dress
in unostentatious order, one hand neatly gloved, the other bare. He
answered the questions put to him in a somewhat low, but distinct voice.
His evidence under cross-examination savoured of taciturnity.
Had he not used the expression, "a free hand"? No.
"Come, come!"
The expression he had used was 'a free hand in the terms of this
correspondence.'
"Would you tell the Court that that was English?"
"Yes!"
"What do you say it means?"
"What it says!"
"Are you prepared to deny that it is a contradiction in terms?"
"Yes."
"You are not an Irishman?"
"No."
"Are you a well-educated man?"
"Yes."
"And yet you persist in that statement?"
"Yes."
Throughout this and much more cross-examination, which turned again and
again around the 'nice point,' James sat with his hand behind his ear,
his eyes fixed upon his son.
He was proud of him! He could not but feel that in similar circumstances
he himself would have been tempted to enlarge his replies, but his
instinct told him that this taciturnity was the very thing.
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